Alcohol & beverage
Ship alcohol only where you’re licensed.
Direct-to-consumer alcohol shipping in the US is a state-by-state licensing system. Where you can ship depends on your licenses, your product type, and reciprocity rules — so every seller's map looks different, and it changes when licenses are added or lapse.
Why alcohol maps are personal
A winery with permits in 40 states, a distillery limited to a handful, a retailer relying on reciprocity — each has a different set of states they must not ship into. What they share: the penalty for getting it wrong involves licenses, not just refunds. Your blocked list is yours; keep it enforceable in one place.
How sellers handle it on Shopify
Put your alcohol SKUs in a collection, create a rule blocking the states where you hold no license, and update the rule when your licensing changes. Checkout enforces it automatically and shows buyers your wording — useful where compliance language matters.
Common questions
Does ShipEmbargo verify buyer age?
No — it blocks by destination only. Anything that happens at delivery is outside the app, and stays with your carrier arrangements and your own compliance process.
Can I have different blocked states for wine and spirits?
Yes. Separate collections or tags with separate rules handle different license scopes.
This guide is general information for merchants, not legal advice. Regulations change — verify current law for your products and destinations.